Pressing and steaming iron



l Sept1 22, 1931. L. A. sMlTH 1,824,379

PRESSING AND STEAMING IRON Original Filed June 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Mmm Sept. 22, 1931. L A, SMITH '1,824,379

PRESSING AND STEAMING IRON origina; Filed June `25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. AIOY A. SMIT/l A TTORNE YS.

` Patented sept. 22,1931

LLOYD A. suns, or Davmonr, lIowa PBESSING AND STEAIING IRON applicativa ned :une z5, laas, serial 11. 288,167. Renewed rebmary e, 1931.

This invention relates to pressing and steaming devices and more particularly to a portable sad iron of the sel contained heatmg type I One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a novel attachment forsad irons for supplying steam thereto, whereby the.

material being pressed can b`e steamed simultaneously with said pressing operation. l Another important object of the invention is the provision of a steam nerating device connected directly with andeforming a part of a sad iron,with means for supplying steam from said generator to the iron and forming u the iron, so that the steam supplied thereto will bedistributed over the face ofthe material bein preed. j

A furt er salient object of the invention is the provision of novel means for controlling P the flow of the steam4 to the sad iron and novel means for insuring the delivering of dry steam to the sad iron..

A further object of the invention lis the rovision of a lsteam generating device ems yin a steam generator chamber of novel `form with novel means including electric resistance elements forheating said chamber and novel arranged steam passageways for connecting said chamber with the sad iron. 3 A still further `object ofthe invention is to provide an improved device of the above 1 character, which will be durable and eiiicient in use, one which will be simple and easy to manufacture and one which can be placed upon the market at a small cost.

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in the novel construction,l

arrangement and formationV of parts, as will be hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a side 4elevation of the improved portablepressing and steam device. Figure 2A is a transverse section taken on the line 2-,2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. j

Figure 3 is a transversesection taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the I0 direction of thel arrows.

. ure of the drawings .at the front end of the Figure 4 is a top plan view of the improved 7 device. v

Figure 5 is a vbottom plan vie 'ofthe improved device showing parts of t e sad iron broken away and in section. I5

Figure 6 is'a fragmentary detailed transverse section through a portion' of the sad iron, and Y Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the y resistance elements employed.

Aor as shown an electric iron which, can be of any preferred make or size. A This iron includes the usual body 10, lower iron plate l1, and manipulating handle 12.

The upper end of the body 12 at the rear ortion thereof carries the usual socket 13 or receiving. the plug 14 to which is connected, electric conductor wires 15, which may lead` from any suitable source of supply. The iron B contains any preferred type of electric heating or resistance element 16. According to this invention the iron plate 11 of the iron 10 is provided with a palr of converging passageways 17 which lead from the rear end of the iron toward the front and these passageways meet, as shown in Figiron. The passageways 17 have communi-- cating therewith a plurality of steam outlet ports 18, which open out through the lower ace of the iron. It is to be noted that these steam outlet ports 18 do not extend to the rear end of the iron but terminate short thereof leaving relatively long unported portions,

Y for a purpose, which will be later described.

The steam generating device C forms an important feature of the invention together 5 with the means for connecting said steam gen-l erator with the iron B.-

As .shown the steam generating device C comprises a substantially solid body 19, which body has its opposite ends and sides receiving lower wall thereof and the heating elements is encased in a. suit-able casing of asbestos 24 or other non-heat conducting material, which in turn receives a finishing shell 25.

Branch conductor wires 26 lead from the conductor wires 15 and these branch wires have incorporated in thelength thereof a control switch 27 and the branch wires are.;

then connected in any preferred way with the heating elements. It is obvious that by manipulating the switch the flow of cur- .rent to said heating elements can be conL trolledf The body 19, which 'if desired, can be made of cast iron is provided with a steam generating chamber'28 adjacenttoone lower end thereof and communicating'with the upper end of this chamber is a. vertical pas'- sageway 29. The upper end of the vertical passageway 29 has threaded into the same a valve body 30 provided at its lower end with a needle valve 31. The needle valve 31 is adapted to fit upon said seat and is slidably mounted in the' valve body and is surrounded by a suitable packing gland 32. Communicating -with the` valve body 30 above the needle valve seat is a Water feed pipe which leads from a small water reservoir 34. This water reservoir 34 can be supported by suitable brackets, or as shown, by the ipe or tube 33 alone., The upper end f lof t e'reservoir is provided`with a filling plug 35 and the tube or pipe 33 can have ingcrporated therein a smallcontrol pet cock Leading upwardly from the steam gen-4 erating chamber 28 and atan angle thereto toward the-oppositeside wall is a steam passageway 37 which in turn communicates with .a vertical steam passageway 38.

j Thelower end of the vertical passageway 30 communicates with an upwardly and inwardly inclined passageway 39y and the upper end of 'this passageway is in turn connected with -afcross passageway 40 by means of arelatively short vertical passageway 41.

The connection of the passageways 38 andv 39 forms a substantial'trap 42 for the collection of any water' which might be carried with the steam, andthe water caught in this trap will be heated by the electric .heating elements and in turn converted into steam.` The opposite ends lof the cross passageways 40 have connected therewith steam delivery and lsupporting pipes 43 which communicate with the covering passageways 17 formed in the iron plate 11.

Any preferred means can be provided for operating the needle v alve 31 and as 'shown' :Ilhe extreme rear end of the lever 44 in rear 'of its pivot point is provided with a slotted` yoke 46 which receives the pivot pin 47 carried by the upper end of the needle valve 31. The forwardcnd of the lever is provided with upwardly extending handle portion 48 which terminates in a thumb manipulating piece 49,y which thumb piece is arranged adjacent to the handle 12 of the iron B so that the same can be readily pressed down to lift theA needle valve oii" its seat. The adjacent handle bracket" 50 can be provided with spaced teeth 51 and the lever 44 is adapted to be engaged by any one of said teeth so that the lever and consequently the needle valve can be held in adjusted' position. When it is desired to move the valve oli its seat the lever is pressed laterally, to disengage the same from the rack tooth and'upwardly.

In the improved device, when it is desired to press and steam a garment,'current is allowed to iow through both the iron B and the steam generating device -C and upon heating of the block or body 19 the lever 44 is depressedso as to allow water to flow drop by drop from the valve bodyl 30 into the chamber 38 where the same is converted into steam. This steam ows through'the passageways 37, 38, 39 and 40 and then into the pipes 43 into the converging passageways 17 of the iron plate 11. The steam then leaves the iron through the ports18 into the vgarement.'r 'Ihe formation of the passageways 37, 38, 39 and 40 is such that the steam is superheated prior to the delivery thereof to the iron, so that a substantially dry steam will be furnished. In order to further superheat the steam the outlet ports 18 are spaced `in the rear end of the iron, as heretofore steaming and pressing iron which can be easily operated by ordinary lay persons and which can be efiiciently used for household purposes, if desired. A

Changesv in deta-il may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, but

WVhat I claim as new is: 1. The combination with a sad iron having longitudinally extending passageways and ports communicating with saidpassageways opening out through the lower face of the iron, of a steam generating device carried by said iron including a body having a steam generating chamber therein, a heat device surrounding said body, said body having a tortuous passageway communicating with said chamber, means for delivering a liquid to said chamber,'and means for connecting the tortuous passageway with the passageways in said iron.

2. The combination with a sad iron having longitudinally extending passageways and opening through the lower face of the iron, of

a steam generating device carried by the iron including a body having a steam generating chamber formed therein and a tortuous pase sageway communicating with said chamber, a' heating device surrounding the body, a liquid reservoir supported by said bodyin a plane above the same, 4a needlev valve for controlling the flow of liquid from-said reservoir into the chamber, and means connecting the tortuous passagewaywith the passageways in said iron.

` 3. The combination with a pressing iron having longitudinally extending passageways therein, and ports communicating with said passageways and opening out through the lower face of the iron, of 'a steam generating appliance mounted on the iron comprising' a body having a steam generating chamber therein and a tortuous passageway com- `municating with said chamber, a portion of said tortuous passageway forminga liquid trap, a heat-ing 'element surrounding said body, means connecting the tortuous passageway with the passageways in the iron, a water reservoir carried by said body, a needle valve for controlling the How of water from the reservoir to said steam generating chamber, and means for manipulating said needle valve.

4. The combination with a pressing iron having passageways therein and ports communicating with said passageways and opening out through the lower face of the iron, of a steam generating device attached thereto comprising a body connected with said iron having a steam generating' chamber therein, means connecting said steam generating chamber with the passageways in the iron, a heating element surrounding said body, a li uid reservoir carried by the body, a needle va ve for controlling the flow of liquid'from said reservoir to said steam generating chamb'er, a lever rockably mounted adjacent to its rear end on said body having pivotal con- 00 nection at its extreme real end with said neev dle valve, and a thumb manipulating piece on the forward end of saidlever.

ports communicating with said passageways connecting said handle with said body, one of said brackets being provided with a toothed rack, of a steam generating device carried by said iron including a block, said block having a steam generating chamber therein, means connecting said steam generatin chamber with ports in said sole plate, a liqui reservoir carried by the block,'a needle valve for controlling the flow of liquid from said reservoir into said chamber, a manipulating lever for said needle valve rockably mounted adjacent to its rear end on said block, and a pivotal connection between the extreme rear end of said lever and said needle valve, the forward end of the lever being arranged in the path of the teeth of the rack, and a manipulating thumb piece on the forward end of said lever.

6. The combination with a sad iron provided with an electric heating element, said sad iron having passageways therein and ports communicating with said passa eways and opening out through the lower ace of the iron, a block carried by said iron having a steam generating chamber therein and a tortuous passageway communicating with said chamber, means connecting the tortuous passageway with the passageways in the iron, an electric heating element arranged about said block, means 'for supplying electricity to the heating element of said iron and to the heating element surrounding the body, means for controlling the flow of electricity into the heating element of the block independent of the heating element in said iron, and means for supplying` liquid drop by drop into the steam generating chamber.

' In testimony whereof I aii'x my sil ature.

. LLOYD A. S ITH.

5. The combination with a pressing iron provided with a heating element and a sole 65 plate, a manipulating handle and brackets 

